Adjustable soap-holder.



G. GOPF.

ADJUSTABLE SOAP HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18,1907.

Patented Sept. 15,1908.

WV A

"new 01,

ym/human GERTRUDE GOFF, OF MILLARD, WEST VIRGINIA.

ADJUSTABLE SOAP-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

Application filed. June 18, 1907. Serial No. 379,614.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GERTRUDE GOFF, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Millard, in the county of Roane and State of West Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Soap- Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved adjustable soap holder for wash boards and it consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

a perspective view of a wash board provided with an adjustable soap holder, the latter bein shown in a lower position. Fig. 2 is an eTevation of the same on a larger scale, showing the soap holder at the upper end of the wash board. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the same, with the soap holder in the same position as in Fig. 2.

The wash board may be of the ordinary or any desired construction. In accordance with my invention, I provide .a spring hook or catch 2 which is secured to the cross bar at the upper end of the wash board and extends downwardly therefrom. In op osite sides of the wash board are longitudinally. disposed guide rods or wires 3, each of which has its ends bent to form outwardly extending upper and lower arms 4 which are driven into or inserted in openings in the said bars of the wash board. The guide wires are suitably s aced from the rubbing surface 5 of the was board, as shown in Fig. 3.

The soap holder 6 comprises slides or end bars 7 and Wires which connect such bars together. Such end bars are made of tin or other suitable sheet metal and doubled to embrace the guide wires 3 and to slide upon the same toward the upper or lower end of the wash board. The upper and lower wires 8, 9, of the soap holder have their ends attached to the said slides 7. An inclined substantially U-shaped wire 10 has the upper ends of its vertical arms bent around and attached to the upper wire 8 near the ends of the latter. A wire 11 is laced back and forth between and is connected to the wire 10 and the bottom wire 9 and is supported in an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 3, and serves to support the soap and to hold the soap against the surface of the wash board, and is what might be termed a self-soaper, as the soap is readily applied by motion of rubbing. The frictional engagement of the slides or end bars 7 with the guide rods 3 is sufficient to maintain the soap holder in any position to which it may be adjusted along the length of said rods against the weight of the holder and the soap contained therein, but not sufficient to prevent the holder from being adjusted up or down or reciprooated back and forth by the exertion of a slight amount of power. a

The soap holder 6, thus constructed, being slidably connected to the guide wires or rods 3 may be moved up and down upon the wash board to any desired extent and will serve to hold the soap at any desired point on the wash board. Hence the soap holder may be positioned and held at any point along the rubbing surface for convenience in soaping the clothes. The soap holder, with the soap contained therein, may also be reciprocated up and down on the guide rods over clothing stretched along the rubbing surface, by which such clothing may be quickly and conveniently soaped. When the said soap holder is moved to the upper end of the wash board, its upper wire 8 may be engaged by the spring catch or hook 2 to support the same at such position, leaving the whole of the rubbing surface of the board unobstructed for use in rubbing the soaped clothes.

The purpose of rendering the soap holder adjustable for retention at any position below the top of the board is to secure greater convenience and reduce the amount of labor in washing articles of clothing varying in size. In washing small-sized articles it is not necessary to use the full surface of the rubbing board, the use of the lower portion of the board being suflicient and more convenient, particularly in employing ayshallow tub or one but partially filled with water, as it allows the articles to be alternately dipped and rubbed with greater facility and less labor.

For instance, in washing a lot of small articles, such as handkerchiefs, the lower portion of the board may be used with greater convenience and less labor, while in washing articles of larger size the entire lower half of the board may be used, and in washing very large articles, such as sheets and the like, the use of the entire board is necessary. The soap holder may be adjusted downward on the rods to any position along the length of the board to he immediately above that portion of the board which is in active use, so as to obviate the necessity of the operator reach ing clear up to the top of the board in removing the soap for use in hand soaping and afterwards restoring the soap to the holder. The capability of adjustment of the holder will therefore permit the device to be arranged in convenient position to the surface of the rubbing board actively employed, thus reducing to a material extent the amount of labor in soaping the clothes. When the articles of clothing are of sufficient size to extend wholly or mainly over the surface of the board, such articles may be mechanically soaped by reciprocating the soap holder with the soap therein over the same, as will be readily understood.

A soap holder thus constructed may be manufactured at very slight cost, may be readily attached to and detached from a wash board of any ordinary construction and forms an extremely convenient receptacle for the soap and moreover enables the soap to be supported in any adjustable position on the board.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A washboard provided with a rubbing surface, guide rods secured to the board at opposite sides of the rubbing surface, said rods extending the full length of said surface and over the board above the same, and a soap holder having members slidably engaging said rods, whereby the holder may be adjusted along or reciprocated upon the rods, and means upon the board to secure the holder in an elevated or inoperative position.

2. A washboard provided with a rubbing surface, guide rods connected therewith at the opposite sides of said rubbing surface, said rods extending the full length of the rubbing surface and over the board above the same, and a soap holder provided with end members slidably engaging said rods, whereby the holder may be adjusted up and down or reciprocatedupon the rods.

3. A Washboard provided with a rubbing surface, guides upon the board extending over the full length of the rubbing surface and above the same, a soap holder slidably mounted upon said rods and provided with a crossbar, and a spring catch upon the upper end of the board adapted to engage said cross bar to secure the holder in an elevated or inoperative position.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GERTRUDE GOFF.

Witnesses:

F. R. HEDGES, G. G. DEATON. 

